Runaways
by A Writer of Fact and Fiction
Summary: This story continues my series and occurs one week after 'A Gift from Beyond'. It's something different from my other stories as I normally don't do sci-fi, but thought I'd give it a try.
1. Chapter 1

Runaways

This story continues my series and occurs one week after 'A Gift from Beyond.'

. . . . .

Chapter 1:

Makoto asked the blonde walking beside her, "Is that better?"

"Hold it a little lower please, Mako-chan" Usagi spoke above the rain's steady, sharp patter. "My shoulder is still getting wet."

The tall brunette repositioned her grip higher on the shiny metal shaft of her well-worn umbrella. She pulled it closer to the pair as they sloshed home from school beneath a heavy and unseasonably chilly late-summer shower.

"That's perfect, Mako-chan! Keep it right there!"

"I'm glad you think so" the tall brunette chuckled. By now the umbrella's weathered canvas top was so close to her head that she could scarcely see where she was going, and her ponytail was in imminent danger of becoming tangled between the rods that supported it. She tried stooping slightly for a better view. "I must look like a giant mushroom! Stop me before I walk us straight into a gutter, Usagi-chan." A sudden rush of wind gusting between two low-rise apartments threatened to tear the umbrella from her grasp but Makoto tightened her grip. "What a _rotten_ day!"

"At least it's Friday!" the blonde beside her grinned happily despite the inclement weather. "Which means no school tomorrow. Just lots of cuddling with my Mamo-chan! _He he!"_

"This is one of those times I'm a little jealous of the other girls. They probably drove home nice and dry inside their cars while we have to trudge through this monsoon. And those detentions we got today didn't help much either." Makoto promptly stepped into a puddle and felt water seep into her shoes. "Rain!_ Chikusho!"_

"When I finally become Queen, I think my first official act will be to ban all rainy days forever." Usagi mused, "I wonder if I can do that in the future?"

"Um... you_ do_ know the farmers need this water to grow food, don't you Usagi-chan?"

"Fine! Then I'll just ban rainy days here in Tokyo!" Usagi laughed. "So... are you and Minako heading out to your place in Nerima this weekend to see your lover boys?"

"Minako is driving me there first thing tomorrow morning. She wanted to leave right after school, but she's stuck helping her mother tidy up around their house tonight. She said something about guests dropping by for the weekend."

"Oh, so_ that's_ why she was so grumpy in class today." Usagi cackled, "I thought for a minute that evil Rei had come to our school by mistake! And Ami wasn't too happy either, with her Ryo off sick at home these last two days. I hope he's feeling better soon."

"Heaven help anything that tries to come between Minako and Taro" the brunette laughed. "Especially housework! But I honestly can't blame her. I miss my Yuji so, _so_ much" she sighed.

"It must be hard to concentrate on anything else during class" Usagi sympathized.

"Hai, it is. You know what? I think I'll call him tonight. Have to keep it short though, those phone bills have really been piling up lately."

Another three dozen steps brought the girls past the gate and up to the front door of the Tsukino residence. "See you at the shrine later, Mako-chan. What time are we supposed to be studying again?"

"Seven. Don't forget your homework this time. Or your umbrella!"

"I won't!"

Makoto turned away and continued her solitary walk several more blocks to the tiny apartment where she lived. She glanced wistfully at the empty space beneath the umbrella where Usagi had been, wishing with all her heart that her Yuji was walking there by her side. The brunette imagined his handsome face smiling at her. "Someday..." she breathed wistfully.

After navigating around another dozen puddles and fighting nearly as many strong gusts of wind, she eventually arrived at the four-storey building. Makoto shook the water off her umbrella at the main entrance, folded it closed, and climbed the stairs to the third floor. Her telephone was ringing as she unlocked the door and she tossed her damp book bag aside and hurried to answer it.

"Moshi moshi."

The distraught female voice on the line was in a state of near panic. _"Mako-chan! It's Ami!"_

"Hi, Ami-chan. What's wrong?"

_"May I come over to see you right away?"_

"Of course you can! You're always welcome here-"

The line clicked dead in her hand and the brunette slowly hung up the receiver, wondering what had happened to make her close friend so upset. Shrugging, she changed out of her school fuku and made herself a pot of green tea while she waited for her friend to arrive.

. . . . .

Scarcely more than five minutes and two sips of tea later the doorbell rang. "Coming!" She hurried to unlock it while thinking 'If that's Ami, she must have _flown_ here. Something really bad must have happened.'

The teen's blue hair was wet and her cheeks moist with a mixture of cold rain and the tracks of fresh warm tears._ "Mako-chan!" _The girl hurried inside and spoke while Makoto quickly closed the door. "It's my Ryo!"

"Is his illness getting worse, Ami-chan?"

_"No!"_ Ami blurted. _"He's gone!"_

_"Gone?"_ the brunette gasped in shock. "I hope you don't mean..."

"I meant he left Tokyo this morning after I went to school."

_"Nani?"_ She guided the distraught girl to the sofa as she quizzed her friend. "Where did he go? And why?"

"I have no idea where my Ryo is. All I have is this note he left me." Ami took a single sheet of paper from her purse and unfolded it with trembling fingers. "I found this on my desk while I was preparing for our study session tonight. It involves you too, Mako-chan. You'll want to read it."

Makoto began reciting the neatly handwritten note aloud.

_"My dearest Ami, my only love,_

_I'm so very sorry to leave you so suddenly with nothing more than this letter. Please forgive me._

_I happened to meet Setsuna on Wednesday evening while running an errand for my father. I asked her if she had any new information about the war, and if there was any hope for us to be married soon. The news she gave me from the other side was not at all good."_

The puzzled brunette paused to glance at her friend across the paper."Other side? _War?_ What on earth is Ryo talking about here?"

"I'll explain that part after you're done" Ami sniffled. "Setsuna had warned us not to mention it to anyone yet. Please continue."

Makoto nodded and kept reading, becoming increasingly confused with each passing word.

_"She told me that the aliens are still losing but they have redoubled their efforts, vowing total vengeance on my ancestors' people and all those who support them. Sestuna said the vile creatures have launched a big new attack, and even worse for us, they have somehow discovered that my father in my last life was among those who lived in the Moon Kingdom during the Silver Millennium. Sailor Pluto's source on the other side told her that they believe the aliens will come here very soon to hunt down and destroy his descendants."_

The brunette rubbed her chin. "This sounds like a story from one of those science fiction movies Taro is so fond of. It still isn't making any sense, at least to me." Seeing a fresh tear slip down the blue-haired girl's cheek, her green eyes refocused on the page and she continued.

_"Setsuna said I may be in danger, and Yuji too of course." _Makoto's eyebrows immediately shot up at the mention of her fiancee._ "And because you have so often desired my seed within you, Ami my love, I fear that your life is now also in danger if they find me. And Mako-chan is too because of Yuji being my brother in our past life. Despite Setsuna's warning not to divulge our subject, I felt it necessary to tell Yuji everything. Together we decided that the only way to be sure you and Makoto remain safe is to leave Tokyo, to go somewhere far away __so__ the aliens do not discover the intimate connection between us. If they do not come to our world or cannot find us, we will return to you as soon as possible. And if they do find us, at least then Yuji and I will be the only lives they destroy. I love you with all my heart, my beautiful Ami. I will love you until the very end of time. I hope you understand why we must do this._

_Please tell Mako-chan about our actions because Yuji wasn't able to leave her a note. He wanted her to know that she is his whole world, his everything, and he will miss her with every beat of his heart._

_ Sayonara, Ami my love. _

_Yours forever,_

_Ryo."_

The tear-stained letter finished with a hand-drawn heart, inside which the boy had added the symbol of Mercury.

Makoto's eyes were misted and her hands trembling as she handed the note back to her friend. "Give me a minute, Ami-chan. I need to make a quick phone call." She ran to her kitchen and snatched up the handset, dialling the Ito residence in Nerima as quickly as her fingers could mash the buttons. After a brief conversation with Taro, she hung up and returned to sit beside the waiting girl.

"No one there has seen Yuji since early this morning." Makoto stared blankly into space for a moment, feeling a terrible emptiness ripping at her heart. _"My Yuji..." _But a determined frown soon appeared on her pretty face. "Ok, the first thing I need to know is exactly what's going on here. I don't_ give a damn_ what Setsuna said about keeping secrets, Ami-chan! Tell me everything you know about what's really going on and_ then_ we'll see how we can fix this!"

"Hai. Now I will."

. . . . .


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

"So let me see if I understand this right, Ami-chan" Makoto said. "You're telling me that Yuji and Ryo were blood brothers in the time of the old Moon Kingdom, and their father was a human, but a human from another universe?"

"That's basically correct, Mako-chan" Ami nodded. "He was from another dimension very much like ours, but migrated to the Moon Kingdom and married there."

"And the descendants of our boys' father are mixed up in some kind of space war against a bunch of... _aliens?"_

"Hai. Setsuna told Ryo and me that those aliens are determined to completely eliminate that human race from within their solar system. And with our fiancees as their distant relatives, they will certainly want to ensure their blood line does not continue in _our_ dimension either."

"Great" Makoto growled. "As if youma and cardians weren't enough to deal with already." She told the girl, "We have to find Yuji and Ryo and protect them, Ami-chan."

"I agree, Mako-chan! But there's one big problem. Setsuna also told us that the Sailor Senshi's combined powers are no match for-"

_"To hell with what Setsuna said about the damned aliens!" _Makoto yelled clenched her fists in rage._ "_I'm not going to lose the boy I love to anyone or any _thing_ for that matter!_ No!_ I don't care _what_ it is! And I know you feel the same way about your Ryo!" She abruptly stood and began pacing around her small living room. "Did you try finding our guys with your Mercury computer?"

"It was the first thing I thought of, but they must be too far away. There's absolutely no trace of them on it."

"Wonderful. More bad news." Makoto abruptly stopped her pacing. "We're going to need help with this. Maybe Rei can figure out where they are with a fire reading."

"That was my next option" Ami nodded, wiping another small tear from her cheek with a damp tissue.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's get over to the shrine!" They grabbed their purses and ran downstairs to Ami's car, taking the steps two at a time.

. . . . .

Inside the Hikawa Jinja's living quarters, Hino Rei sat alone at the study table after finishing her dinner, diligently working her way through a biology assignment. She looked up when the door slid open and grinned at the soaking wet teenage boy standing there. "Yuuichirou honey, you look like a drowned rat! Is it still raining hard outside?"

"Pouring!" the teenage apprentice replied. He towelled his hair dry as he spoke. "Your grandfather seems determined to make me catch a cold, darling. Who else would send me outside to empty the trash bins in this miserable weather? We haven't had more than two or three visitors in _hours!"_

"A little hard work is good for you, lover. Here, sit beside me for a while. But please try not to drip all over my homework."

Yuuichirou gladly did so and the miko was about to hug him but pulled away. "On second thought, you should maybe change into dry clothing first. Don't want you coming down with a cold."

"If I change, will I get that hug?" he grinned. "And maybe even... a kiss or two?"

"Hai, and a whole lot more, lover boy" Rei purred. "But_ that_ part happens later tonight, at bedtime."

"I _love_ it when you tease me like that!" Yuuichirou chuckled. The couple heard footsteps approaching from somewhere down the hall. "Sounds like the girls are here for your study time. I'll go finish drying myself off and drop in on the gang later. I'm sure Hino-sensei will have no trouble keeping me busy for a while."

Rei carefully leaned toward him and placed one hand behind his head, pulling him closer. She kissed her fiancee passionately, her indigo eyes twinkling as they parted. "That's just a little something so you don't forget about me in the meantime."

"Are you kidding, sweetheart? I'd forget my own name first!" Yuuichirou joked, "By the way, who am I again?"

"Get out of here" the miko laughed with a wave of her hand. "Go feed the Sensei or... something. I really need to finish this important assignment tonight."

As Yuuichirou reluctantly left the room, Ami and Makoto ran past him and appeared in the doorway.

"Konbanwa" Rei greeted the pair. "Someone's here early today. Ami isn't a surprise, but Mako-chan, you don't usually-"

The girls hurried up to the table. "Rei-chan, we need you to do a fire reading for us right away!" the brunette interrupted her. "Immediately!"

"Hai! It's quite urgent!" Ami added. "And _very_ important!"

"Oh? I don't think it will help you much with your homework, Mako-chan" the miko chuckled. Her smile vanished as she spotted deep concern on her friends' worried faces. "Ok." She closed her biology textbook and sat back. "I'll do it now. What is it you need me to find out?"

"Ryo and Yuji are missing!" Ami replied. "They've run away from home!"

Rei's mouth dropped open._ "Nani?"_

"We'd better explain to Rei what's going on, Ami-chan" Makoto said. "You do it, you understand the details a lot better than me."

. . . . .

It took a few minutes to bring the increasingly astonished Shinto miko up to date on the boys' dire situation. "I'm not sure if a fire reading will work in this case, but I'll certainly give it my best shot. It may help if I have pictures of the boys to place near the fire."

Makoto and Ami unceremoniously dumped the contents of both of their purses on the study table, quickly producing photographs of their fiancees from the two small piles. Ami clutched her photo of Ryo close for a moment before handing it to Rei. "We'll find you, my Ryo-kun" she whispered tenderly to his smiling face. "We won't let you and Yuji face this alone."

At that moment, Minako and Usagi entered the room. The girl with the red bow in her impossibly long blonde hair bubbled melodically, "We're _here!" _She giggled,_ "_I got out of helping my mother clean the house by telling her I needed to improve... my... grades... minna, why all the long faces? Did somebody die or something?"

Upon hearing this, Ami sobbed softly but Makoto answered, "No. No one is going to die, Ami-chan. Not from _this_ planet."

Rei tossed the pen she was toying with aside and stood up. "We'll tell you what's going on in a few minutes, Minako-chan. You and Usagi sit down and start doing your homework. Ami-chan, Mako-chan, come with me. I want to change into my miko clothing before we begin the reading."

. . . . .

With the pictures in front of her and a wooden ofuda prayer wand in her hand, Rei kneeled before the sacred flames and meditated for a few moments to clear her mind. The other two girls watched quietly from nearby as the miko began her ritual.

She waved the wand, chanting as she asked the fire to reveal the missing teens' whereabouts. "Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, zai, zen! Sacred flame, reveal to me _now_ the location of these two lost boys!"

It took repeated attempts before a vision finally materialized to her from deep within the crackling red-orange glow. First Urawa Ryo appeared, then Ito Yuji, both boys appearing frightened and utterly heartbroken. Rei was shocked to see another face appear after theirs had faded, a handsome middle-aged man who looked distinctly Japanese but for several small subtle differences.

As the miko puzzled over this vision, it abruptly dissolved to reveal a fourth image. Rei recoiled in shock as an inhuman alien face slowly took shape within the flickering firelight, the likeness of which the raven-haired girl had never before encountered among the countless youma and cardigans she had fought as Sailor Mars. Its row of three tiny unblinking coal-black eyes seemed to peer curiously at her from the center of a nearly spherical silver head, which contained no sign of a mouth, nose or ears. The creature appeared almost machine-like in appearance, though certainly not emotionless. Rei's shoulders gave an involuntary shudder as a feeling of intense hatred suddenly emanated from the vision of the alien being and swept over the kneeling girl like the beam of a bright flashlight. A gasp of alarm escaped her lips before the image abruptly vanished and the crackling fire died away. Slowly the shaken miko pivoted around to face her waiting friends, her face noticeably pale.

"Well, Rei-chan?" Makoto impatiently prompted her. "Any luck finding our guys?"

"I could discern several things from the reading, Mako-chan. The first was the boys' approximate location. It isn't exact by any means, but they seem to be somewhere very far north of here, though I believe they are still on Honshu."

"North? Perhaps they're in the Aomori prefecture!" Ami exclaimed. "That's as far as they could possibly go without leaving the main island. They must have taken a shinkansen up there this morning."

"I saw two other things within the flames" Rei added in a soft voice. "The first was the image of a human, a man. Perhaps it was their father from the past. I'm not sure."

"What was the last thing?" Makoto asked worriedly.

Rei's body trembled again. "If I'm correct in my assumption, Mako-chan, Ryo and Yuji are in _very_ grave danger."

. . . . .


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Usagi's expression quickly soured from incredulity to deep concern as she listened to Ami and Makoto break the news to her and Minako._ "_Minna, I don't feel comfortable about this idea at all!" She fretted, "Space aliens from another dimension? How are the Sailor Senshi supposed to fight crazy things like that?"

"You have a better plan?" Rei pointedly asked the blonde. "Or do you want to sit here and do nothing while Ryo and Yuji go it alone?"

_"Of course_ we should help them!" Usagi answered the miko angrily. "I want the boys back here where they belong, safe and sound with Ami and Mako-chan! But you just said we don't even know where they are. Aomori is a big prefecture, Rei-chan!"

"If we manage to get close enough to the boys, my Mercury computer should lead us the rest of the way, Usagi-chan" Ami spoke. "It's the only chance we've got. Maybe the only chance my Ryo and Mako-chan's Yuji have to survive." The despondent girl sighed, "How I _wish_ they had talked to us first!"

Makoto asked the blue-haired teen, "How long will it take us to get up north, assuming we start our search in Aomori City itself?"

"Since flying there would take too long to arrange, we have only two other options, Mako-chan. Approximately eight hours by car, or four hours if we catch the next available shinkansen" the studious girl answered immediately. "The obvious problem with travelling by train is that we have no transportation when we arrive, unless we're able to rent a car. That would cost us even more time and complicate our search tremendously."

"I bet _I_ can drive us there in less than seven hours" Minako stated confidently. "And Rei's car is a lot faster than mine, which would get us there even sooner."

"It may not be enough, Minako-chan" Makoto muttered. "We don't know how much time our boys have left."

"Minna, I'm going to try to reach Mamo-chan" Usagi decided. "Maybe he can go with us. It sounds to me like the Senshi will need all the help we can get." She hurried from the room while the other girls continued discussing their options.

"If we travel there by car, we definitely should take mine" Rei agreed. "But even then it'll be the middle of the night when we finally arrive in Aomori. It's no use in taking two cars because Ami only has one Mercury computer."

"There just isn't enough information to make the correct choice" Ami fretted. "After Usagi is finished using the phone, I'm calling Setsuna. Perhaps she can give me a better idea about how long we have before the aliens arrive. It may be weeks, or days, or... just a matter of hours." She followed Usagi into the hallway, shedding fresh tears.

Makoto absently began refilling her purse with the contents she had dumped on the table, lingering over her picture of Yuji before reluctantly putting it away "_Why_, Yuji-chan?" she whispered to it. "Why didn't you ask us for help?"

"Because he loves you, that's why" Minako said. "He and Ryo didn't want you or Ami to get hurt. Or... even worse."

"But even the _thought_ of losing him hurts me even more" the heartbroken girl replied. "More than the thought of death itself. Why didn't he and Ryo realize that?"

"Because they're boys, and boys think differently than we do. My Yuuichirou is exactly the same way." Rei reached out and placed her hand on the brunette's arm. "Try not to worry so much, Mako-chan. We'll find them. And as for the aliens, we'll take care of that problem too. If it comes down to a fight, we'll give them a nice warm welcome to Earth." The miko grinned wickedly at her friend, "Hai, a good hot Fire Soul welcome!"

Makoto's expression hardened in grim determination. "Yes we will" she growled, fingering her green and gold henshin wand. "With great pleasure!"

Yuuichirou poked his head into the room. "I checked the schedule like you asked, honey. Today's last train for Aomori has already left Tokyo. The next one isn't until tomorrow morning at five-thirty. Sorry."

"Arigatou, darling. Look after Grandpa while we're gone and tell him to get a good night's sleep and not worry about us, ok? We'll be back as soon as we find the boys."

"I'll take care of your grandfather and the shrine" he nodded. Yuuichirou walked up to his fiancee, helped her to her feet and hugged her tightly. "Please, my Rei... please be careful. You're my whole life. My everything. Come home soon."

"I will." After giving her young man a reassuring kiss, she announced to the group, "Minna, it looks like we're going by car."

Usagi scurried into the room. "I can't reach Mamo-chan!" she groaned. "He's still somewhere in that school of his but no one has seen him for hours. He's probably working alone in a lab somewhere. Stupid university!"

"Then it's just us five" Makoto decided. "As soon as Ami gets off the phone with Setsuna, let's head out. There's no time to waste." She added as her friends stood, "And from Ami and me both, thank you for being there for us."

"Don't mention it, Mako-chan" Usagi smiled. "Remember that anime Setsuna showed us last week? We can accomplish anything if we work together! Anyway, helping each other is what best friends do. We'll bring your boys back home."

"Usagi-chan, come with me to the kitchen" Rei ordered. "We'll pack enough food and supplies so we don't have to stop and eat during the trip north. If anyone needs to phone their parents, do it now but make it brief. Tell them you're sleeping over at the shrine or something. I want us to be on the road in ten minutes!"

"Hai!"

. . . . .

"Moshi moshi."

"Good evening, Michiru-san."

"Greetings, Setsuna-san." How are you coping with the weather on this simply dreary evening?"

"Quite well, until Ami called me a few minutes ago. We have a problem. Would Haruka be available?"

"She's out tinkering in the garage again. Why, what's wrong?"

"I made a mistake two days ago during a conversation with Ryo."

"Oh?"

"Hai. I told him something I shouldn't have, and he and Yuji have reacted in a manner that is making life rather difficult for themselves and their girls. Are you and Haruka available for a lengthy road trip? I'm afraid that Uranus and Neptune's services may be needed."

"But of course. We'll pick you up in twenty minutes. You can give us the details then." She smiled, "It isn't like you to make a mistake, Setsuna-san."

"I know" the Senshi of Time sighed. "I must be getting old."

. . . . .

A nearly empty bus slowly trundled east from Aomori with two heartbroken sixteen-year-old passengers staring glumly through their mist-fogged window. "I hope this works, Ryo-chan" Yuji worried. "No matter what happens to us, our girls _must_ live on. It's their destiny to protect their Queen."

His close friend nodded sadly. "Maybe they will find someone else to fall in love with and marry and..." his voice cracked, "...have families with. Chieko and Midori will be such sweet, beautiful children, Yuji-chan."

"Hai. They will be. Just not _our_ children." Yuji's heart ached at the thought. He gazed past his friend, looking through the window with unseeing eyes. "Are we still sticking to our original plan?"

Ryo nodded. "At least for now. We can't hide in the city or anywhere else where innocent people may be hurt by the aliens. We'll have to find a deserted place somewhere in the countryside and wait for the end to come. From what Setsuna told me, I don't think it will be long. Maybe two or three days at most."

Yuji turned away from the glass and busied himself by idly rechecking the contents of the backpack resting between his feet. "We don't have enough food or water to last much past Monday. I guess that should be enough." He zipped the pack closed, his voice heavy with regret. "I feel so lost without my Makoto. Like a big piece of me is missing."

"I know. A few days ago, Ami and I were still planning the details of how we wanted our wedding to be. After the ceremony at Rei's shrine, we were going to have a week's honeymoon at that resort she drove the girls to a while back. We were so excited, Yuji-chan. So happy. But now..." he paused to brush away a tear, "it's all gone. Everything. All I have left is memories of my sweet Ami and broken dreams instead of the future that could have been."

"Maybe the aliens won't find us, and you and Ami will get to live out your dream after all. And Mako-chan and me, too."

"Perhaps so, Yuji-chan. But something inside is telling me that our fates will be much less pleasant. At least we won't suffer long." Ryo forced himself to smile. "You know, I was going to ask you to be my best man at our wedding."

"You were, Ryo-chan? Arigatou, my brother. I'm very honoured."

"Taro is your real brother in this life, Yuji-chan. Not me. Here in this world, I'm only a friend."

Yuji smiled warmly back at Ryo, "The way I see it, you're much more than just a good friend, Ryo-chan. I have _two_ brothers now."

. . . . .


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

"How are we all supposed to fit in there, Rei-chan?" Usagi wondered as the teens ran outside through the rear door of the shrine. "Doesn't your car only have four seats?"

"It can take five if you fold up the armrest in the back seat first, Usagi-chan. And that's exactly where _you'll_ be sitting, where I can keep a close eye on you."

"Ohh! Why am _I_ always the one stuck in the middle?" the blonde moaned. "I won't be very comfortable!"

"Stop your whining and get in! And don't eat all the food we brought along before we even leave Tokyo!"

The five girls piled into Hino Rei's red Mercedes. "Luckily, Usagi didn't forget her brooch this time" Rei noted. "Does everyone else have their henshin wands?"

A chorus of "Hai! We do!" met her ears and the miko started the engine. "We'll need to stop for gas at least once somewhere along the way, and we'll change drivers every hour or so to stay fresh. Minna, try to catch as much sleep as possible, it's going to be a long trip and we won't be much help to anyone if we're all exhausted when we get there." Rei told the girl sitting beside her, "There's a map book in the glove box in case we need it, Minako-chan. And in the name of everything that's holy, _please_ don't mess up the directions this time!"

"I won't!" the bubbly blonde promised. _"Punch it hard, Rei-chan!"_

The convertible screeched from its parking space and into light evening traffic. "Try to hold on, boys" Makoto breathed. "We're on our way."

. . . . .

Inside her mid-town apartment, Meioh Setsuna noted the time on one of two dozen precisely-set timepieces arrayed around her home. 'Ten minutes until Haruka and Michiru arrive. That should be sufficient.' She stood in the center of her living room and raised her henshin wand.

_"Pluto Planet Power, Make Up!"_

Every light in the building briefly flickered and dimmed as an immense surge of power swept through the room. In less than a second, Sailor Pluto stood holding her garnet rod, its long key-like shape crackling with energy. She raised the staff horizontally above her head and took a single step forward, vanishing into a dimension where space and time intermingled and only her Time Gate existed.

. . . . .

Within yet another dimension, a small silver disc-shaped craft moved swiftly and silently toward its destination across the distant backdrop of the Milky Way. Within it were two beings, a tall, middle-aged human male from another Earth-world and the second lifeform who piloted the tiny vessel.

The smaller being, who loosely resembled what the people of the Senshi's Earth would refer to as a 'grey alien' from their Hollywood movies, spoke to the man in surprisingly fluent Japanese.

"You do realize this is a suicide mission, Akio. If the Senotak spot us in this unarmed crate, we're goners. The odds are _not_ in our favor."

The passenger nodded. "I am fully aware of this. But the Council has tasked me with warning the descendants of our people who now live on this alternate Earth, so it must be done regardless of any risk. If good fortune should smile upon us, we may even be able to rescue those two young boys in time." He chuckled at the pilot's expression, "Goners. You have a unique American way of phrasing our possible demise, Roswell."

The corners of the grey alien's tiny mouth curled upward in what passed for a grin. "I picked up a lot of the native phrases and lingo during my captivity in the States. And I gotta admit, after pulling this crappy assignment I almost wish I was still back in Area 51. It's a lot safer there than out here." Roswell's large black teardrop-shaped eyes examined the panel of glowing instruments in front of his seat. "Another ten hours of your Earth time and we'll pass through the rift where our dimension intersects with theirs."

"Excellent" the man answered. He stood and gave his companion a deep bow of gratitude. "On behalf of my people, I must humbly thank you and your allies again for your service during our time of greatest need."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't mention it."

The man continued, "May I ask, why are you known as 'Roswell'? That name is an Earth word, certainly not native among _your_ kind."

The grey turned away from his instruments. "It's a long and depressing story. I'll tell you why later, but only if we make it back alive. So I probably won't have to."

. . . . .

The red convertible weaved and dodged through Tokyo traffic, eventually reaching the main north-bound highway. Rei carefully held her speed to the posted limit. "Minna, there's a police speed trap on this road just out of town so I have to take it slow until we're past it. Then we'll really turn up the power."

"All the way up to eleven!" Minako giggled. "Rei-chan, how do you know about that trap?" She waggled her finger teasingly at the miko. "Did you get a ticket?"

"No, Yuuichirou did. For driving too slowly on the highway, believe it or not. He's almost as useless behind the wheel of a car as Usagi is."

"Almost? At least I'm not the _worst_ at something!" the odango-haired blonde beamed. "Arigatou, Rei-chan!"

"That wasn't a compliment, you idiot!"

"Gomen! When is it my turn to drive?"

"Ami and Minako and I will be doing all the driving, Usagi-chan. We need to get to Aomori in hours, not the _days_ you'd take."

"Fine! Go ahead and pick on me. See if I care!"

Rei heard a soft crunching noise from the rear and glanced suspiciously in her mirror. _"Usagi-chan! _Are you into the food already? I can tell you're eating something back there!"

"No I'm not!" The words came out as a mumble from the hungry girl's overstuffed mouth.

"Baka! Put that away, and not another bite until we're at the half-way point. That food has to last us a while. _All_ of us, not just you."

Usagi stuck out her chip-covered tongue and reluctantly dropped her snack into her lap with a grumble. A sudden shrill beeping noise from beside her startled the teen. _"Nani? _What was that, Ami-chan?"

"Gomen, Usagi-chan" Ami apologized. "I was just setting an alarm on my Mercury computer. I'm leaving it switched on and it will make that alert sound if it picks up any trace of Ryo or Yuji. That is, if we really can get close enough for it to locate them." Her soft blue eyes again began to cloud with tears. "I miss you so, my Ryo-kun."

"We'll find them" Usagi reassured the girl with a soothing pat on her arm. "Try not to worry yourself sick about it. And don't you worry either, Mako-chan."

"Some things are a lot easier to say then to do" the brunette sighed while staring blankly from her window. She hardly noticed the scenery slipping past, thinking only of her fiancee's smiling face, the delicious taste of his lips against hers and his gentle, tender touch.

"Before we left Hikawa, Setsuna told me on the phone that she doesn't expect any trouble for at least a full day. Perhaps even longer, Mako-chan" Ami spoke. "So at least we and the boys have that much going for us."

. . . . .

With the speed trap now behind the Mercedes and a nearly empty road ahead, Rei pressed the accelerator pedal all the way down, thankful that the rain had eased to a light mist. "Nearly seven more hours. I've always wanted to visit the north part of Honshu, but not for a reason like this." The raven-haired girl pushed a button to lower her side window slightly and reached into her purse for a cigarette.

"It isn't good for you to smoke _too_ much, Rei-chan" Usagi admonished her friend.

"This is my first cigarette in over a week, Usagi-chan!" the miko shot back. "I make sure never to overdo it, so stop nagging me like you're my grandmother, get used to the idea and _mind your own business!_"

_"Ok! _Don't bite my head off!"

"I think everyone is being way too grumpy and gloomy in here" Minako remarked. "Minna, we can do this! We'll find your missing lover boys and they'll be safely home before you know it! So cheer up!"

Her bubbly optimism was lost on the brunette sitting at the rear. "How about _you_ shutting up instead?" Makoto grumbled. "You wouldn't be acting so carefree if your Taro was the one in trouble." She frowned, "Gomen, Minako-chan. I didn't mean to be so rude. I guess it's just the stress of the moment talking."

"Let me tell you something about the Senshi of Love, Mako-chan. It hurts me a lot to see _anybody_ separated from the one they love. It's my job to make things right, and I will!" The blonde vowed, "When Sailor Venus says she's going to do something, _it happens!"_

"Hai, it does. Usually along with a big disaster, like someone falling or an explosion. Arigatou, Minako-chan" Makoto groaned, "I didn't think it was possible, but you just managed to make me feel even worse than I already did."

"Silly! You just wait until one of those crazy alien things dares to cross _my_ path! Sailor Venus will show it what true fear _really_ means!"

"How? Are you going to run it over with Rei's car? Or even worse, cook it a meal and then try nursing it back to health? That would finish off nearly anything."

"That wasn't very nice, Mako-chan. I may not be very good in the kitchen but at least I try hard."

"I'm saving my niceness for later, after Yuji and Ryo are safe and we blast those damned aliens to pieces. Mess with our guys, will they?" she growled. _"__Good luck with that!"_

. . . . .


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

The two boys asked the driver to let them off between stops as the evening sky waned to dusk and the bus pulled to the curb, stopping with a hiss of its brakes. The teens got off, shivering beneath their thin jackets from a stiff breeze sweeping in from the sea. Turning their collars up against the chilling mist, Yuji slung his backpack over one shoulder. "North or east, Ryo-chan?"

His sixteen-year-old friend unfolded the map he carried and traced a route with his finger. "The most isolated spot around here looks to be near Mount Fukkoshi-Eboshi, Yuji-chan. It's a long walk, but it will be worth it if it keeps the aliens away from everyone else. So I guess we'll need to head east."

They left the main road behind them and began hiking down a much narrower side street. A dog barked angrily at the intruders from the safety of its walled garden while in the distance, the sloping outline of a distant mountain loomed dark and shadowy beneath the dimming grey sky, its lower flanks sheltered by a forest of beech trees. As the teens walked past scattered buildings and small neatly-sown fields of crops, they talked about their lives and the girls they loved, their hearts aching with the knowledge they would likely never see Ami or Makoto again.

"This is the hardest thing I've ever done, Yuji-chan" Ryo sadly murmured as they trudged along. "All I ever wanted out of life was to share every day with Ami, to someday have a family with her and live together in our love."

"Hai. When we first heard that you were planning on getting married, our own future wedding was the only thing my Mako-chan and I talked about for days." Yuji brushed a stray tear from his cheek. "But now, someone else will take my place by her side. It hurts _so much_ even to think about it."

"If only there was another way. But our girls' safety matters so much more than the hopes and dreams of two ordinary boys" Ryo spoke with a heavy heart. "When our future daughters visited us at the shrine that day, they called us their fathers. I felt so proud of little Chieko. But that wonderful future is not to be. She and my beautiful Ami will someday belong to a different boy. I only hope he loves them as much as I do."

They fell silent for a time as the ground passed beneath their running shoes. Yuji shifted the backpack to his opposite shoulder, politely refusing Ryo's offer to share its burden. "It's ok, Ryo-chan. I need the exercise." He mused, "I should have brought my sleeping bag and Taro's along with us, but there wasn't time to find them and still catch the morning train."

"No problem, we'll make do with what we have, Yuji-chan. Just a few more kilometres and we'll be near the mountain."

"Do you think we'll be there long before we... die?"

"I'm not sure. Setsuna only told me that the aliens were probably already on their way to this dimension. I honestly have no idea how much time we have left." Ryo pulled a picture of his beloved from his wallet and gave the blue-haired girl smiling out from it one last loving gaze before darkness fully set in. His fingers softly caressed the image it held. "I love you, my Ami" he whispered. "Please don't cry after I'm gone. It's for the best."

"There's still a small chance, Ryo-chan" Yuji said hopefully. "Maybe those things hunting for us won't find us out here and they'll give up their search. Didn't Setsuna tell us once that life can take many paths and nothing is truly certain until it happens?"

"Hai, she did."

"I never thought I'd say this, but I even miss going to school" the taller of the pair admitted with a wry chuckle. "And fixing things around the house, and running errands for my parents. But most of all I miss the girl who brought so much love and happiness to my life. I'd give anything to hold my Mako-chan in my arms and tell her I love her just one last time."

. . . . .

"I don't believe you!" Rei hissed. "We've been on the road for barely an hour and a half and you need to go to the bathroom already? Why didn't you go before we left the shrine, Usagi-chan?"

"I didn't have to go then" the blonde grumbled. "But I do now."

"Too bad. I'm not stopping until we change drivers in another half hour. So hold it!"

"That's_ torture_, Rei-chan! Be reasonable!"

"You need to think of something else to take your mind off it, Usagi-chan" Minako suggested. "How about telling everyone a joke or something funny? The depressing mood in here could still use lots of improvement."

"But I don't know any funny jokes, Minako-chan."

"I know one" the raven-haired girl in the driver's seat muttered. "And she's sitting right behind us."

"When I become Queen, I'll make you regret those nasty words, Rei-chan!" Usagi scowled.

"Oh? How are you going to do that? Have me stand in the corner like a bad little Sailor Mars?"

"I'll think of something" she vowed. "But all I can think of now is finding the nearest bathroom. Can we _please_ stop soon?" she begged the miko. "I don't want to explode!"

"Fine" Rei relented. "I'll pull in at the next service center we pass, but make it quick. We may as well change drivers then too."

"I'll take over next!" the blonde beside the miko offered, bouncing excitedly in her seat. "Minna, watch how fast we get there with Aino Minako in the driver's seat!"

"How fast we get _where?"_ Makoto asked with a snort. "The nearest cornfield? Or maybe you'd prefer to drive us off a cliff this time."

"One teeny tiny little accident in Haruka's Ferrari and you never let me live it down, do you?" Minako muttered. "Some future sister-in-law you are!"

"My only wish at the moment is to _be_ your sister-in-law in the future, Minako-chan. And I _won't_ be if we don't live long enough to rescue the boys. So pay attention to the road and stay on it this time!"

"Don't you worry about a single thing, Mako-chan! I'm at my very best during the night." She giggled, "And I don't just mean driving a car. My Taro-love would definitely agree with that!"

"I'm sure he would."

Usagi squirmed and figeted for another five minutes until the bright lights of a fuel stop and restaurant appeared in the distance like a welcoming oasis in the desert. "This looks good, Rei-chan!_ Pull over, pull over, pull over!"_

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! I'm doing it, baka!" She parked her car and Usagi sprang from the back seat, trampling Makoto's feet in her haste.

_"Ow!_ Careful!"

"Gomen, Mako-chan!"

"Anyone else want a coffee besides Ami? No?" Rei hurried inside and bought two large cups, along with whatever snacks she could quickly grab to replenish their rapidly dwindling stockpile. Minako settled herself behind the wheel while the other two girls got out to briefly stretch their legs beneath a clearing sky.

"I feel better the closer we get to our boys, Mako-chan" Ami said, smiling for the first time since they left Tokyo. "There may be hope after all."

"Me too, Ami-chan. I'm confident the Senshi can handle whatever happens. Before you know it, you and Ryo will be making wedding plans again. Don't forget, I want to bake the cake. I have something extra special in mind." They retook their places as Rei returned to the car, balancing her coffee on the convertible's closed top while she passed her other shopping to the teens in the back seat.

Usagi emerged moments later, sprinted across the parking lot and climbed aboard, miraculously missing the brunette's feet this time. "Ahh! That's _much_ better!" She abruptly squirmed, "Nani? I think I just sat on something." The blonde reached under herself and fumbled for the object. "Hai, it's a candy bar! It's all squished out of its wrapper, but that's ok. I can still eat it."

"Great" Rei grumbled. "There goes my nice leather seats. Do you know how hard it is to get chocolate stains out, Usagi-chan?"

"I didn't sit on it on purpose! It was an accident!"

Makoto groaned, _"Please_ don't anyone say the word accident, not with _her_ driving!"

Minako impatiently revved the car to life. "Get in, Rei-chan!"

The miko did, slamming the door and reaching for her seat belt just as the blonde driver zoomed off.

_"Wait!" _Rei blurted. _"I forgot my._.. coffee." A long brown streak oozed down the back window of her shiny Mercedes as the cup on the roof toppled over. She glared angrily at Minako. "When we get home, you're cleaning up that mess you just made! Even if it takes you a whole day!"

"What mess, Rei-chan?" Minako peered in her mirror and grinned nervously, "Oh, _that_ mess! Oops! No matter, can't stop for silly little things like that!" She shot onto the highway and stood on the pedal. "Minna, now we'll _really_ make good time! Ok, car! Give me everything you've got, just like my lover boy always does!"

Makoto muttered from behind her, "Try to concentrate on where you're going instead of thinking about being with Taro, ok? Ami isn't the only one of us with wedding plans."

"Really, Mako-chan? When were you and Yuji thinking of getting married?" Usagi asked as she sifted through the fresh supplies.

"We haven't told anyone this before, but we were hoping to tie the knot sometime late next summer, Usagi-chan. That's if his parents allow us to."

"Congratulations!" Usagi grinned. "Let's all celebrate your big announcement! Here, have a can of soda! I'll even open it for you!"

Rei abruptly twisted around in the passenger seat. "Don't open that yet, Usagi-chan! It'll still be-"

Click!

_Whoosh!_

"-fizzy." The miko finished her sentence a second too late.

"Ohh! It's sticky _everywhere_ now!" Usagi moaned. "Just_ look_ at this mess! Does anyone have a tissue? Or a whole box of them?"

_"My poor car!" _Rei yelled. "Thanks a lot, you blonde... _disaster!"_

"Gomen nasai!"

. . . . .

A shrill chirp of warning had the grey quickly rescanning his instruments. "Oh oh."

"What does that strange sound imply?" Akio asked. "Is there a problem?"

"You could say that. It's a Senotak ship" Roswell replied. "A big one. Probably armed to the teeth, and full of those robotic overgrown coffee grinders with energy beams" the being grumbled. "Those things play rough."

"That is not good news" the man frowned.

"It's well behind us at the moment. I don't think they know we're here yet, but it's on the same course we're following."

"Perhaps it is the vessel sent to destroy the boys. We _must_ reach the other Earth first."

"If we increase our speed much more, we won't have enough range to get home. We'll be lucky to make it back to this side of the rift."

"There is no other option, Roswell. Please proceed to the other Earth as rapidly as necessary."

"So much for rescuing those boys" the grey muttered. "What we'll need soon is someone to rescue_ us."_

. . . . .


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

"We finally made it" Rei breathed with a sigh of relief. Her Mercedes left the expressway and entered the city of Aomori just as the clock on its dashboard reached two a.m.. Ami looked up from her Mercury computer with a bright smile. "Minna! The boys were definitely here! And not very long ago, perhaps five or six hours."

"Finally some good news" Makoto smiled. "We'll be with our guys soon, Ami-chan. I'm sure of it."

"What should we do next?" the miko asked Ami. "Do you want me to drive around town until you get a better signal?"

"Precisely, Rei-chan. Please do!"

"I don't understand what's going on" Usagi yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "I thought your computer was supposed to beep or something when we found them, Ami-chan."

"It still hasn't located the boys themselves, just a trace of the residual energy they left behind. When we get very close to them it should sound its alarm."

"This all sounds so complicated!" Usagi groaned. She peered out at the unfamiliar city lights. "I wonder if there's an all-night-"

_"Don't you dare_ ask about restaurants or food!" Rei scolded her. "It's bad enough that you devoured most of the snacks we brought along. I didn't have a single thing from our supplies."

"Not even a coffee!" Minako giggled. "But your _car_ did, Rei-chan!"

"You still have to clean up your mess later, Minako-chan. Don't think for a minute I'm letting you off the hook for that."

"Rei-chan, we should soon reach the City Office" Ami told the driver. "Please turn left at the next intersection and we'll begin our search on the west side of town."

"Hai. This city is tiny compared to Tokyo. It shouldn't take too much longer to track the guys down."

Instead of looking through the windows like the other girls were doing, Makoto sat back, closed her eyes and concentrated her thoughts on her fiancee and his close friend. _'Yuji honey, where are you and Ryo?'_

. . . . .

Unable to sleep, Urawa Ryo and Ito Yuji sat shivering together in a damp, shallow cave at the base of Mount Fukkoshi. Despite the wool blankets they were bundled in, the teens felt cold, lonely and utterly miserable.

"My watch has stopped" Yuji frowned. "It _must_ be nearly morning by now. It seems like we've been sitting here for days."

Ryo checked his watch. "Gomen, Yuji-chan. It's just past two thirty. Sunrise won't happen for another three or four hours."

"Oh." The other boy snugged his blanket across his chest, bravely smiling despite his fears, "Bet you can guess who I'm thinking of right now, Ryo-chan."

"I think it would be safe to assume it's a certain brunette of your acquaintance."

"Hai. Kind of easy, wasn't it?"

"I won't ask you who _I'm_ thinking about, Yuji-chan. Ami has been in my thoughts every second since we left Tokyo this morning. My mind seems to be reliving all the special moments we shared together. That sea cruise, the trip to Hawaii, and..." his voice faded to a whisper, "so many wonderful memories."

"And maybe the first time you asked her out? Or your first kiss?" his friend teased.

Ryo blushed. "Among other things, yes. Those too. But I didn't ask Ami out, not on our first date. I was too shy. She asked me."

"She did?"

"Hai. Ami invited me to go to the library with her, the same day she overheard me telling another girl in our class who had an interest in me that I could only ever love one girl. Only Mizuno Ami." Ryo chuckled, "That comment earned me a good hard slap on the cheek."

Yuji made a face. "Ouch! That must've stung!"

"It did, but only until my Ami and I held each other and we kissed the first time. Then all I felt inside was love and happiness." He chuckled, "It was well worth the other girl's slap."

Yuji grinned, "Your first hug, your first kiss, and being struck on the face by someone, all on the same day. You've lead an interesting life so far, Ryo-chan. And you mentioned you were a youma for a time too. Wow! Compared to what you've experienced, my life in Nerima was completely boring! But... only until Mako-chan found me. After that it was heaven" he smiled. "Heaven on earth." He reached down to pick up a sharp stone and added it to a small pile beside him.

"Starting a rock collection, Yuji-chan?" Ryo puzzled.

"Just for defense in case a wild animal wanders by. Being hunted by aliens is one thing, but I don't want us to be attacked by anything else while we wait for the end to come."

"It's funny how life is, Yuji-chan. Last weekend we were safe and warm with our fiancees in Mako-chan's old house, and now we're out here in the middle of nowhere, waiting to die."

"I'll miss that place" Yuji smiled. "It's where my sweet Mako-chan and I first made..." His face reddened, "uh... you know. Our very first time being intimate together."

"I remember how excited Makoto and Minako were that day" Ryo grinned. "How they convinced you and Taro to stay the night and how happy you all were the next morning, too."

"Was Makoto's house were you and Ami first... uh... studied together?"

Now Ryo blushed red. "Not there. We were at Ami's home late one night, working on a school assignment. Her mother was at work and she invited me to stay over. I agreed, assuming she meant I'd be sleeping on the downstairs sofa, but... my girl had other plans."

. . . . .

"Jackpot!" Roswell adjusted the controls and his small craft began dropping through the thin upper atmosphere. "I show two faint readings somewhat similar to yours, Akio."

"That must be the boys." The man leaned forward expectantly. "Where are we now?"

"Above the north part of the island of Honshu. Those descendants of your people must have fled out here, which explains why we couldn't find their energy signatures in Tokyo. We'll need to work fast to make up for lost time. I don't want to be on the ground too long in case we need a quick getaway when the Senotak finally show up."

The man watched two red dots on a screen gradually brighten as they descended. "Your world's technology is very impressive, Roswell. Far more advanced than mine."

"This old thing?" The grey gestured at his ship with a nonchalant wave of his spindly arm. "Compared to the stuff our allies have it's nothing special, but it gets the job done. Usually."

"Are the boys in a city?"

"No." A video image appeared onscreen and the being extended a long narrow finger towards it. "Looks like they're holed up near that mountain. I'll set us down someplace close by where we have decent cover, and then we're walking the rest of the way."

"Arigatou" the man nodded. "This shouldn't take very long."

"That's good, Akio. We don't have long."

. . . . .

"Keep heading east, Rei-chan" Ami urged. "The boys' signal is stronger that way."

"Hai." The miko steered her car along Route 4 until arriving at the villiage of Kitanoheji. "The road turns south here, Ami-chan. Should I follow it or go north?"

"Definitely go north" the blue-haired girl replied. She clicked on an inside light and rechecked her map. "Take route 279."

"It won't be long now!" Minako exclaimed, still bright and bubbly despite the hour. "A late-night rescue of your lover boys!" She swooned at her future sister-in-law, "Isn't this _so_ romantic, Mako-chan?"

"I can think of more romantic ways to spend a night with Yuji than saving him and Ryo from space aliens" the brunette muttered. "Lots more ways, in fact."

"So can I" the blonde giggled. "But we'll both have to wait until tomorrow for that, when we're cuddling back home with our honey muffins. Love-love awaits!"

"Is that all you ever think about?" Makoto sighed. "I just want the boys to be found safe. That other stuff can happen later."

"Minna, I'm getting scared!" Usagi fretted from the darkness of the rear seat. "Ali and En were aliens from _our_ dimension, but Setsuna said these things are from someplace else. And they're really dangerous! What if the Senshi have to fight them?"

"Bring 'em on!" Makoto growled. "If they want trouble, the Sailor Senshi will give them plenty of it! Nothing is going to hurt our boys! _Nothing!"_

. . . . .

Haruka watched the taillights of Rei's car turn north and followed them, keeping a full two kilometers behind the red Mercedes. "It's nearly showtime, Michi-chan" she grinned. "Ready to kick some alien ass?"

"I do wish you would phrase our battles in a less distaseful manner, Haruka" the green-haired Senshi replied with a disapproving frown. "Kicking... _ass? _How crude."

"Be careful" Setsuna urged from the back seat of Michiru's car. "My source from the other side is a man called Akio. He warned me that the enemies of his world are very formidable warriors. Be on your guard."

"Understood, Sets" Haruka calmly replied.

. . . . .

The grey alien's craft dropped to a low silent hover within a grove of trees and a door beneath the tiny ship slid open. "We're down" Roswell said. "Your people are in a cave about half a click west of here."

"Half a click? I assume that means they are close by" Akio spoke. "Is your vessel secure in this location?"

"It should be, until the Senotak turn up. Then all bets are off."

"You really do sound like an American at times" the man chuckled. He lowered himself through the hatch to the earth below, surprised to find the grey being following him. "You're coming with me?"

"Why not? I've never been to any Japan before, this one or yours. Anyway, if the bad guys find our ship, I don't want to be inside when it's vaporized. I can think of much better ways to buy the farm."

"Buy the... _farm?_ Ah. Yet another optimistic assessment of our chances, Roswell." The oddly-matched pair set off across rugged ground towards the cave.

. . . . .

"Can't we ride any farther in your car?" Usagi fretted. "It's dark and spooky outside, Rei-chan. What if we get lost out here in the wilderness?"

"In case you haven't noticed, this road doesn't go any further." The miko turned to glare icily at her after stopping her convertible. "What are you expecting me to do, drive us through that forest? If I take your advice, we'll end up stuck in a swamp. Baka!"

After the teens emerged from the vehicle, Ami and Makoto lead the group forward on foot, following the strengthening signal on the glowing screen of the Mercury computer. "Ryo and Yuji are nearby" Ami reassured her friend. "They are approximately one kilometer east of us, Usagi-chan."

"A whole _kilometer? Out here?" _the blonde groaned. Her blue eyes widened, darting from side to side. "I just know some big hungry bear with long sharp pointy teeth is going to eat me for a late-night snack!"

"Not this bear thing again" Rei sighed. "I thought you were over that by now, Usagi-chan. You're worse than a frightened little baby. Grow up!" She clicked on a flashlight and angled the beam forward and down. "Minna, watch where you step. The ground here is rough so be careful and don't twist an ankle."

"My ankles are the _least_ of my worries, Rei-chan" Usagi scowled. "Aliens! Bears! I _hate_ this creepy place!"

. . . . .


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

The girls followed the yellow glow of Rei's flashlight, making their own trail through the beech forest. The path they followed began to steepen slightly as they neared the base of the mountain. Ami studied her computer, expecting it to reveal nothing more than two frightened boys. She abruptly gasped, "Minna! There's something else out there and it's not far away!"

"Ohh, I _knew_ it! It's a big mean bear, isn't it?" Usagi froze in her tracks. "I don't want to be a snack, Ami-chan! I'm too young to die twice!"

"Don't worry, you're too thin to make much of a meal for a bear" Rei teased. "Unless it enjoys knawing on bones. Then you'll probably do."

"Stop scaring me, Rei-chan! Your evil jokes are making everything worse!"

"I was just having a little fun with you" the miko replied. "Don't take everything I say so seriously, Usagi-chan."

"It isn't a bear, Usagi-chan" the worried blue-haired girl told the increasingly nervous blonde. "It's a..." She paused. "Gomen, my readings aren't making sense. One moment it appears to be human, and the next it's something else, something very strange. Almost... alien."

_"Alien? _I've heard all I need to" Makoto grimly spoke. "Minna, let's henshin. It's time to fight." The brunette and her friends raised their transformation sticks and five bright flashes of light illuminated the forest.

"Sailor Venus is ready for action!" Minako exclaimed while striking a pose. "Those aliens are going down _hard!"_

"Along with half the trees and wildlife around here, no doubt" Jupiter smirked. "Don't get too trigger happy with that beam of yours, Venus. The boys are close and I don't want them getting hurt."

The young warriors were about to press on when a momentary flash from high above dazzled the night sky, followed by a low rumble echoing down to their ears several seconds later.

Sailor Mars looked quizzically at Mercury. "Nani? That sounded almost like thunder but it can't be. The sky is clearing, Ami-chan."

"My computer just recorded a massive energy burst high in the upper atmosphere" the blue-haired Senshi puzzled. "I honestly don't know what it was, but it was immensely powerful!"

"We're all going to die!" Sailor Moon groaned. "I'll bet it's those stupid alien things!"

"Look on the bright side, Usagi-chan" Jupiter offered. "At least it wasn't a flying bear. Minna, let's hurry!"

. . . . .

Approaching the cave, Akio and Roswell also paused, looking skyward at the brief burst of light. Soon after it dissipated, a sudden low-pitched beep came from the communication device within the grey's silver cloak. The being reached for it and studied the screen. "I've got good news and I've got bad news" he told his companion. "And just to make it even more interesting, something else that's as confusing as hell."

"Oh?"

"The good news is, we don't have to worry about that Senotak ship any more. That flash of light we just saw? That was it being destroyed."

Akio was stunned. _"Destroyed?_ How?"

The grey's black, teardrop-shaped eyes reflected his device's viewscreen as he peered at it. He spoke into the small oval unit it in a complex language Akio could not understand, heard an acknowledgement, then grinned. "Lucky for us, we were followed across the rift by a friendly warship. An old human buddy of mine from the other side of your planet. Those Senotak didn't know what hit them."

"The Atlanteans are here too?" Akio exclaimed. "That's excellent, Roswell! So what's the bad news?"

Roswell's oddly-shaped smile disappeared. "I've just been told the enemy was able to land an unknown number of their kind on the back side of this hill before their ship was taken out. So there's a bunch of Senotak killer robots somewhere out there, and they probably have a good idea where we are. Expect big trouble real soon, Akio."

"We _must_ evacuate the boys at once!" the man urged. "But... you said there was another thing, something confusing you?"

"I did. Multiple energy bursts at ground level less than half a kilometer from here. It happened just seconds before the bad guys were wiped out. I've never seen anything like this before."

"I wonder if it could be Setsuna and the other Sailor Senshi" the man mused. "If so, that would definitely improve our chances of survival."

Roswell stared blankly at him. "Sailor Senshi? What's that?"

. . . . .

Inside the cave, Yuji cast his blanket aside and scrambled to his feet. "Did you hear that, Ryo-chan?" he whispered. "Something's out there." He scooped up a handful of stones and doused his flashlight. "And it's close by."

"A wild animal?" Ryo wondered.

"Don't think so. I thought I heard a strange voice just now. Whatever it was, it definitely _wasn't_ speaking in Japanese." He fingered one of the sharp stones in his right hand. "I say we don't go down without a fight."

The studious boy picked up a rock and stood beside his friend. "We'll face our fate together, Yuji-chan."

"Hai. We will, Ryo-chan. Like brothers."

. . . . .

Roswell's sensitive night vision had detected the outline of the cave's entrance long before his human companion could see it. "This way, Akio. Follow me." The grey slowly stepped inside the opening, his body presenting a decidedly alien outline against the brighter backdrop of the starry sky. "Hello in there. We're-" The being heard a young male human blurt out a warning to his friend.

_"Aliens! Now, Ryo-chan!"_

A rock whizzed close past Roswell's head, quickly followed by several more, and the rescuers hastily retreated outside. "Boys!" Akio called into the cave. "Do not fear us! We're here to help you!"

"Liar! You're here to _kill_ us!" came Yuji's defiant reply, followed by yet another flying stone from somewhere inside.

"You're the native here!" Roswell hissed at his companion. "Try reasoning with them!"

"Hai" Akio nodded. "Please listen to me, boys! We aren't trying to kill you!" the man spoke. "I'm from your ancestral father's home worl-" His attempt at an explanation was suddenly and violently interrupted by the battle cry of an enraged young female warrior.

"Waga shugo Mokusei yo! Arashi wo okose! Kumo wo yobe! _Ikazuchi wo furaseyo! __SUPREME THUNDER!"_

Akio instantly paled. He lunged for the grey's cloak and pushed Roswell to safety, physically shoving the creature's small body into a nearby depression. The man stumbled in after him, dropping heavily alongside the pilot moments before a jagged bolt of electricity struck the exact spot on the mountain where they had stood, shattering the rock wall into fragments with an ear-splitting explosion. Dust and dirt rained down on the stunned pair.

_"What the hell is this?"_ Roswell blurted from the shallow pit, unfortunately relapsing into his native tongue.

_"It's the Sailor Senshi!" _Akio gasped in awe. "They must think we're the enemy!"

"I thought you said those Senshi things were going to help us, not _kill_ us!"

"My turn now! Jupiter, stand aside!" the two companions heard Sailor Venus yell excitedly from somewhere in the darkness. "Take_ this, _you nasty home-wrecking space monsters!_ CRESCENT BEAM!"_

A blinding streak of light-energy shot close above the duo, missing their heads by centimeters and gouging a deep ragged scar in the nearby earth. "I think I missed!" the blonde groaned. "Kuso!"

_"We're pinned down!"_ Roswell yelled in Japanese. _"Akio, do something!"_

"Those miserable things even speak our language!" a third female voice rang out. "It won't help them because unlike Venus, _I_ won't miss!" Sailor Mars quickly repositioned herself for a clear shot. "Sailor Moon, stop quivering like an infant and go check on the boys! Mercury, I need your Shabon Spray for cover!"

_"Hai!"_ Moments later the area was clouded in dense mist.

Roswell's eyes adapted instantly to the thick cloud, glimpsing a trace of red from the cautiously approaching Mars Senshi's fuku. He gasped at his passenger, "Goners, man! _We're goners!"_

Inside the cave, Yuji and Ryo exchanged joyful glances in the darkness while the battle raged outside. "The Senshi are here!" they cheered in unison.

_"Sailor Senshi!"_ Akio yelled in desperation. "Please stop attacking us! _We surrender!"_

Sailor Mars was having none of it. "Minna, don't believe them! It's a trick! _Show no mercy and t__ake no prisoners!"_ Spotting Roswell's otherworldly silver-shrouded body laying prone in the depression, she steadied herself and took careful aim. "It's time to turn up the heat! _FIRE S-"_

_"Sailor Mars! Wait!"_

Mars' fingertips separated before her fireball had time to completely form, its crackling energy dissipating into the night. The red and white clothed warrior had halted at the familiar sound of Setsuna's voice. The young woman ran up to the surprised teen seconds later.

"Sailor _Pluto?"_

"Minna, break it off!" she sternly commanded the girls. "Let them live!"

. . . . .


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

"I think it's safe for us to get up now" Akio told the grey alien sprawled face-down in the dust beside him. "I recognize that voice."

The being beside him wiped dirt from the corners of his small mouth. "You go first" Roswell muttered.

The man slowly stood amid Mercury's fading mist. He winced at the bright glare of Rei's flashlight that briefly shone in his face. "Setsuna-san? Sailor Pluto? It's me, Akio!"

The relieved young woman stepped towards him. "We finally meet in person, Akio-san. I must apologize for the attack. The Senshi weren't aware you are friendly."

Noting that his human companion was still in one piece, Roswell cautiously eased up from the depression to a chorus of startled gasps from the girls.

_"Oh my!"_ Mercury exclaimed. "A real live alien!" She pointed her computer at the being and studied it intently.

"I am alive... at least for now." Roswell told the shadowy outlines of the Senshi the first thing that came to mind. "Greetings, people of Earth. We mean you no harm." The grey alien smiled, "Damn, that sounded like a line from a bad Hollywood movie. That's it, no more tv for me for an entire Earth month!"

Sailor Mars regarded the diminutive creature with considerable trepidation, keeping her guard well up. "Who, or should I ask_ what,_ are _you?"_

The being politely bowed to her as though he were a typical Japanese businessman introducing himself to a client instead of an alien from another dimension. "My friends call me Roswell, and I am at your service, young Senshi lady. As you can probably tell" he grinned, "I'm not from around these parts."

"Roswell brought me here to warn the two boys hiding in that cave about the grave danger they are in" Akio explained to the young warriors. "Please do not be alarmed at his rather unusual appearance. He's actually quite harmless."

"Just like Sailor Moon is most times" Mars muttered. As she spoke, the odango-haired Senshi in question appeared at the cave entrance with Ryo and Yuji cautiously following behind her.

Usagi recoiled in fright at the sight of the strange being. _"Ahhh! Evil aliens have captured everyone!"_

"They're not evil, baka! Sailor Pluto said they're on our side!" Mars hissed. "Calm down!"

_"Nani? They are?"_

The blonde peered suspiciously at Roswell, who raised an arm and wiggled his spindly fingers in greeting. "Hello there."

_"It even talks!" _Sailor Moon blurted. "And in Japanese too!"

"So you really weren't trying to kill us?" Yuji questioned the pair. He and his friend were quickly joined by Makoto and Ami who stood protectively close to their young men. "Honest you weren't?"

"No, not at all" Akio reassured the teen. "We came to help you. I am Akio, from your father's home planet. We were attempting to rescue you before our enemy, the Senotak arrive. Their intention is unpleasant, to say the least"

"Our boys don't need any rescuing, thanks anyway" Jupiter insisted. "We can take care of them by ourselves."

"After what we experienced just now, I'm somewhat inclined to agree" Akio admitted. "But there is still real danger here. We must return the boys to their ancestral world immediately where we can ensure their continued safety."

"No one's taking our fiancees _anywhere!"_ the defiant brunette vowed, producing a vigorous nod from Mercury. She clutched her Yuji's hand. "Not without a fight!"

"Hai!" the blue-haired girl agreed. "Ryo and Yuji belong to us!"

Akio questioned the boys, "They are your _fiancees?_ Well. That complicates matters tremendously" the man sighed. "Sailor Pluto, I was unaware of this."

"I thought it better not to reveal too much detail regarding the Senshi's personal lives to you" Setsuna replied. "Gomen, Akio-san."

_"See?" _Sailor Moon fumed at her. "There you go again with the secrecy! Sometimes all that mysteriousness of yours is too much, Pluto!"

"We can discuss the boys' futures later, after the current threat is eliminated" Akio told the girls. "The important thing now is to survive the Senotak invasion. Be warned, the robots they have sent to your world are programmed to kill humans on sight."

"I knew this was going to be a bad night!" Usagi groaned.

"Roswell, your Atlantean friend's warship" Akio reminded his companion. "Can it assist us?"

"Highly doubtful. If it's following standard doctrine, it'll be pulling back to intercept any more uninvited guests who may drop by, Akio. We're on our own down here."

"Then our only means of protection from the robots is that cave and our amazing new friends" the man decided. "Sailor Pluto, can your Senshi deal with these enemies? Unfortunately, we came here completely unarmed. A terrible oversight brought on by lack of time."

"I'm not sure" Setsuna mused. "The girls haven't fought against advanced machines like these things you've described."

_"Of course_ we can beat up a bunch of dumb machines, silly!" Venus exclaimed while Mercury worriedly rescanned her computer. "I was just getting warmed up!"

"Hai, when it comes to destroying things, I can't think of _anyone_ better for the job than our very own Sailor Venus" Mars teased the blonde.

Sailor Mercury looked up from her computer. "Minna, there are ten strong energy readings in the forest and they're getting closer! They may be attempting to surround us!"

"Two of those may be Uranus and Neptune" Setsuna said. "Which leaves eight enemies to destroy." She frowned. "That's eight too many."

Upon hearing this, Sailor Moon began shooing the boys back toward their cave. "Ok guys, it's time to hide yourselves again. And don't come out until we say it's safe!"

"Please be careful, Ami my love!" Ryo begged his girl.

"We will, my Ryo-kun. See you soon, when the battle is over." Sailor Mercury quickly kissed her young man before turning away, while Jupiter also gave her worried Yuji a parting kiss for good luck.

"I love you, Yuji-chan. Now go hide."

"Sailor Moon, maybe you should wait inside that cave too" Mars told her. "You and Sailor Pluto can be our last line of defence and protect the boys and our visitors. You'll probably be safer there. After all" she smiled, "you _are_ our future queen."

_"Finally_ she admits it!" Usagi groaned. "And about time! Mars, I don't like being inside creepy caves! It's always dark and damp and scary and-"

_"Get in that damn cave! Now!" _her raven-haired friend yelled. "We'll call you if we need your help, ok?"

"Fine!" Usagi scurried inside with Akio and Roswell while muttering to herself. "Stupid cave! It's probably full of huge bears and nasty old bats hanging from the ceiling!"

"The bears in your world hang from the ceiling?" Roswell puzzled.

Well, the bears aren't hanging there, just the bats! At least I _hope_ they aren't!" Usagi fretted. "Ohh!_ I hate this so much!"_

"A dangerous time like this and she's worried about harmless little _bats?"_ Jupiter wondered aloud, watching Setsuna take her place just inside the cave's entrance, her time staff held at the ready. The brunette warrior suggested, "Minna, the rest of us should spread out to give those robot things smaller targets, but don't wander too far from each other. Remember, we have to defend Sailor Moon and the boys at all costs!"

"Hai!" The Senshi assumed positions in a wide semicircle around the cave opening, concealing themselves behind large rocks and trees. They didn't wait long before they heard faint whirring noises and the group of robots entered the clearing between the girls.

They appeared exactly as Rei had foreseen in her fire reading at the shrine, large silver spheres beneath each of which sprouted four long jointed appendages that served as legs. The Mars Senshi allowed the robots to move past her, then courageously leapt up from behind cover and sprang into action ten meters from the enemy.

_"Fire Soul!"_

Her fireball slammed into the nearest robot, stopping it, but the machine otherwise seemed largely unaffected by the scorching-hot flames. With a soft humming sound its three-eyed head swiveled to face her, its electronic brain evaluating this sudden unexpected threat.

"It didn't work!" Mars gasped in disbelief. She ducked down, but not in time.

_"Shabon Spray!"_

Mercury's mist also failed to halt the robot but did manage to throw off its aim. The machine's center most eye glowed white, emitting a powerful pulse that sent a shock wave rushing toward Sailor Mars like a tsunami. It caught her exposed shoulder and the Senshi was tossed on her back like a rag doll, grimacing in intense pain. _"Aghh! My ankle!"_

_"Mars is injured!" _Ami blurted.

"Ok you oversized trash cans! In the name of love, I won't allow you to harm those innocent boys! _Crescent Beam!"_

Sailor Venus aimed her glowing fingertip at the robot nearest her, but the machine was now alert to the presence of the Senshi and it answered with an energy weapon of its own. The two beams met halfway between them, producing a massive explosion that rocked both foes. Minako's body crumpled from the blast, laying motionless.

_"No!"_ Jupiter screamed. "We need to attack these things together! _Minako-chan!"_

The blonde did not answer Makoto's call, but two robots immediately responded with a combined attack on the brunette. Makoto dove aside as the trunk of the large beech tree she had hidden behind snapped like a twig. It toppled onto the brunette's leg, tightly pinning it.

_"Now, Neptune! WORLD SHAKING!"_

_"DEEP SUBMERGE!"_

A sun-bright ball of pure energy was joined by another sphere of intense bluish-green, bursting from the forest behind the robots. The twin orbs ripped across the clearing into the cluster of intruders. Five of them were vaporized instantly, while the remaining pair survived and scattered. One of the machines sprinted awkwardly towards the cave with one of its mangled legs dragging uselessly behind. while the other rushed toward Sailor Jupiter who had just managed to kick herself free. Its central eye began to glow as it aimed its deathly ray, locking on to the brunette.

_"Shine Aqua Illusion!"_

Mercury's last-ditch effort to protect her friend partially caved in the robot's dome-like head and it fell to earth near Sailor Jupiter with a metallic clatter.

_"Now I'm REALLY mad!"_ Makoto swore at it. Too close to unleash her electrical powers, Jupiter leapt bodily upon the device and began beating on it furiously with her clenched fists._ "This is for Minako and Rei! Die, you piece of space junk!" _Her rapid punches thudded viciously home, one after another until her hands ached. She grabbed a large rock and brought it down hard against the robot's metal skull._ "And Ryo and my Yuji!__"_ The helpless device quickly shut down, expiring amid a tortured whine and a crackling shower of sparks just as the final crippled Senotak weapon reached the cave entrance.

"Dead Scream."

Sailor Pluto's time staff finished off the last alien with a single powerful discharge, ripping open its gleaming head and destroying the circuitry within.

For a moment, all was eerily silent.

_"Minna!" _Mercury cried out. She rushed into the clearing toward her fallen friends. _"__Mars and Venus are badly hurt!"_

"Don't worry about me!" Rei spoke through gritted teeth._ "Check on Venus!"_

. . . . .


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Hearing Mercury's cry of alarm, Sailors Moon and Pluto sprinted from the cave. "How bad are they hurt?" Usagi and the other Senshi clustered around their unconscious fallen comrade, her eyes tearing up with worry. _"Minako-chan! Please wake up!"_

The girl still lay where she had dropped in battle. Her Senshi uniform melted away as Minako returned to her human schoolgirl form. "Ami-chan, _do_ something! Help her!" Usagi pleaded.

"Minna, please step back and give her some air." Mercury crouched beside her friend and carefully checked her breathing, then her pulse. "It's weak but steady. She likely needs professional care. We should transport her to a hospital as soon as possible."

Uranus and Neptune ran into the clearing and for the first time, the other teens saw them in their Senshi form. "Looks like we'll be carrying Minako out of here" Uranus decided. "Jupiter, you and I can do it if we sling her arms over our shoulders. Michi-chan, would you and Pluto mind destroying any remnants of those robots? We can't leave evidence of those machines behind."

"Hai."

While the two older warriors set to work zapping the mechanical rubble into atoms with their Senshi powers, Makoto and Haruka stood on either side of Minako and stooped down to gently grasp the motionless girl by her arms. "A good thing Taro isn't around to see this" the worried brunette muttered. "He'd be a complete basket case."

Minako's eyes suddenly sprang open. "Taro? _My honey muffin?" _She looked questioningly at the brunette. "Is he here?_"_

"Welcome back, Minako-chan" Jupiter smiled with deep relief. "No, Taro isn't here. He's safe at home in Nerima. You must've hit your head when you fell."

"I fell? I don't remember doing a silly thing like that! But there _was_ a crazy robot thing that... I tried to..." Her speech was halting and slurred. "Did I... kill it?"

"Hai, you did. And you nearly killed yourself while doing so. We're taking you to see a doctor."

"Oh." Minako's brow wrinkled. "I don't need to see a doctor!" she insisted. "I've seen one before and they all look exactly the same, with their white coats and their stetho... stetha... that thing they stick in their ears. Mako-chan, my head hurts."

"Do you feel pain anywhere else, Minako-chan?" Mercury asked.

"No, Study-chan... I mean Ami-chan!" Minako giggled, her mind still clouded from the beams' explosion. She peered glassily at the blue-haired girl. "What are you doing out here in the dark? Shouldn't you and Ryo be studying somewhere where it's much more private? You know, that love-love thing you always do when you're alone together?"

Ami's cheeks reddened. "Try not to talk too much. You aren't well."

"Maybe not, but I'm getting better, and fast too!" Minako reached behind her to make sure her red bow was still attached and clipped on straight. "As a matter of fact, I'm completely fine, almost! Fit as a violin and ready for more Venus action stuff! Mako-chan, would you mind helping me up?" She slowly stood with Makoto's aid, took a single step then staggered dizzily backward, collapsing into her future sister-in-law's arms. "Just give me a minute or two, _then_ I'll be fine."

"You're going to the hospital and that's final" the brunette ordered. "No more arguments!"

Minako blinked several times and peered upward through glazed blue eyes. "Minna, the sky and stars are spinning around! _Whee!"_ She grimaced,_ "_Ohh, why are they doing that? It's making me so dizzy!"

"With Minako, it's hard to tell what's normal and what isn't sometimes" Jupiter chuckled. "But at least she's awake and remembers who we are. That has to be a good sign."

Haruka chuckled, "Minako-chan, I'm not sure if you were very courageous or very foolish to face those robots the way you did."

"Both" Jupiter muttered. "That's our Venus."

"Did _I_ do that?" the blonde gasped. "Wow! I was _brave!"_

With the battle over and the last robot carcass destroyed, Pluto called into the cave to summon the others. Roswell and the three human males emerged from the blackness and joined the Senshi. "Any casualties?" the deeply concerned being asked.

"Nothing _too_ serious, I hope" Mercury replied. "Sailor Venus possibly has a mild concussion. In my opinion, she was actually rather lucky."

Sailor Uranus' eyebrows shot up at the sight of Roswell standing beside her. She and a stunned Sailor Neptune took a few quick steps back from the alien. "You have three seconds to tell me who or what you are" Haruka growled at it. "One... _two.._."

"Howdy, miss" the grey smiled and held up his hands as he spoke. "Don't shoot, I'm one of the good guys!"

"Oh? Are you?"

"Hai, and let me say that was some fine work you and your partners just did. You made scrap metal out of those Senotak robots!" Roswell shuffled over and nudged Uranus with a bony elbow. "Tell you what, if you ever get tired of working here, Akio's people could use your abilities. Very impressive!"

Neptune and Uranus stared dumbfounded at the being, then looked questioningly at Setsuna. _"Is he for real?" _Haruka exclaimed.

"You bet I'm real" the alien grinned. "And thanks to the Sailor Senshi, I'll be real and breathing for a good while longer." The grey alien bowed in deepest gratitude. "Minna, arigatou. Akio and I I owe you."

"The alien and the man are from the other side, Uranus. "Akio is from the boys' home world."

The grey looked up at the tall blonde. "And I'm Roswell. What's your handle?"

"Handle? You mean my name?" Haruka stuttered. "Uh... I'm Haru- I mean, Sailor Uranus."

"Ah yes. A beautiful planet for a lovely young lady" the grey remarked. "Ah... you are a _girl_, I assume? Can't be too sure nowadays."

"Hai" Haruka snickered. "Last time I checked I was."

The alien's tone became grim again. "But enough small talk. Your friend needs to be examined by a doc soon, Sailor Uranus."

Haruka nodded, still scarcely believing she was standing beside a mountain in the middle of the night, casually chatting with an alien from another dimension. "Hai. We're working on it."

Minako focused her blue eyes on the being. "Roswell, I have to ask you something... are you a boy or a girl?"

"Neither. My race has been sexless for millenia. I was what you humans would refer to as a test tube baby."

"Oh..." The blonde frowned disapprovingly. "No boy and girl aliens? No love-love? That's _so_ tragic! Isn't it tragic, Mako-chan?"

"You'll feel better a lot sooner if you stop babbling every random thought that pops into your mind, Minako-chan" the brunette muttered.

"Babble, babble, babble! It's what I always do!" She giggled again. "Ouch! My head is still wicked sore."

"Then stop talking so much and give it a rest" Makoto replied.

Mercury hurried off to check on her other injured friend. Sailor Mars had propped herself against the boulder she had used for cover, gently massaging her right ankle as she watched the others.

"It's just a bad sprain, Ami-chan" Rei said, tenderly rubbing her lower leg. "Nothing seems broken, though I'm going to need a little help getting out of this forest."

"We'll bring you home safe" the blue-haired Senshi promised. A distant roar from high above had the entire group looking skyward at two sets of fast moving flashing lights zooming past high above them. "It seems the destruction of the enemy spaceship has aroused the curiosity of the Japanese Self Defence Force" Ami mused. "We really should get away from this area as quickly as possible in case the army decides to investigate."

Akio joined her at Rei's side. "I wouldn't worry about that too much, Sailor Mercury. They usually assume an unexplainable event like that was merely an exploding meteor." He grinned, "You Senshi are even more impressive in battle than I had imagined. I'm sure you will have no further difficulty looking after your boys. It appears my initial worries regarding their safety were entirely unfounded."

"Arigatou, Akio-san" Mercury smiled happily. "Jupiter and I could _never_ lose my Ryo and her Yuji. They mean the whole world to us. But we do deeply appreciate what you tried to do here tonight."

"I understand completely" he smiled back. "I feel the same way about a wonderful woman waiting at home for me. And thanks to you and your friends, Sailor Mercury, I'll live to see my wife again." He turned to his companion, "Roswell, it's time to leave this planet before those aircraft discover your vessel. Let's go home."

"Now you're talking, Akio! I don't want to live through another fiasco like I had back in '47" the grey muttered. "One run-in with that primitive third-Earth military was bad enough. Minna, perhaps we will meet again someday. Until then, take care of yourselves." He saved his last grin for a still astonished Sailor Uranus, coyly winking at her with one of his large teardrop-shaped eyes. "Catch you later, kid."

"Uh... yeah... sure" Uranus mumbled. "Later."

"You take care too, Roswell. And please keep in touch, Akio" Pluto urged. "There's a young couple here who are anxiously awaiting the outcome of your war. Two couples, in fact."

"Of course" he nodded. "With my friends' help, I'm sure we'll win. Sayonara, Setsuna-san."

He and his alien companion bowed respectfully to the Senshi one final time and headed off toward their tiny craft. The girls waited until they had disappeared into the treelike before detransforming.

Haruka shook her head in disbelief. "The people we meet on the job, Michi-chan" she muttered to her partner. "They get weirder every day!"

"They certainly do, Haruka. Though I somehow think it will be a while before we top Roswell." She smiled, "It was almost as though he was flirting with you."

"Hey, I'm popular wherever I go" the tall blonde chuckled. "Even out here in the wilderness with aliens."

"Well, Minako-chan?" Makoto asked, relaxing her grip on the blonde who was now standing on her own. "Are you able to walk out of here? If you can't, we'll carry you."

Minako took a few tentative, wobbly steps and began to sway. Makoto grabbed the girl before she again toppled over. "I don't think so, Mako-chan. The ground is moving up and down." She giggled, "Kind of like my stud muffin does when we-"

_"Minako!_ Even when you're sick, you still have a one-track mind!"

"Gomen. Can I lean on you for support, future sister-in-law?"

"Anytime" the brunette smiled warmly.

Yuji and Ryo helped Rei up, only to have Usagi shoo the younger boy away. "Let me take that side of Rei, Ryo-chan. You can hold her flashlight and help Ami guide us out of here."

"Must you?" the miko grumbled.

Usagi pulled one of the girl's arms across her shoulder. "Of course, Rei-chan! It's what best friends do, remember? Plus" she grinned, "you finally said I'm going to be Queen someday. "

"I must have been delirious" Rei replied. "Just don't drop me, ok?"

"You're always safe in my hands. Minna, let's go!"

The group began their long, slow trek back to their cars. "I feel like I'm floating!" Minako exclaimed. "So fun!"

Makoto and Haruka glared at the girl suspended between them. "I wish we did" the brunette growled.

They hadn't covered half the distance before a rustling noise in the bushes off to their left startled Usagi. _"Minna!" _she hissed. "I just heard something!" She groaned, "What if it's a bear?"

Ryo turned the flashlight toward the sound, and a moment later a furry black head popped up from behind a shrub, peering curiously at the group.

_"Bear! Bear! IT'S A BEAR!"_ the terrified blonde screamed. She flung her arms around Rei, nearly knocking the young woman off her feet. _"Ahhh! Save me!"_

Rei staggered onto her sprained ankle. _"Ow! My leg, you baka!"_

Usagi's loud yell frightened the small curious animal and it turned and scurried away into the night.

"It was just a young cub, Usagi-chan!" the raven-haired girl scoffed. "Did you have to frighten the poor animal to death like that? And now my ankle hurts even more! _Imbecile!"_

Usagi retook her place at her limping friend's side."I did! What if its mommy is around? Setsuna-san, henshin and use your Dead Scream on that bush just in case there's something hiding behind it!" She scowled, "Nani? Why is everyone laughing at me?_ I was serious!"_

. . . . .

Rei handed Ami her car keys when the group reached the parked vehicles. "I can't drive with my ankle in this condition, Ami-chan. And with Minako out of action, I'm afraid you'll have to take us home. Are you awake enough to drive all the way there?"

"After what we just experienced, sleep is the furthest thing from my mind, Rei-chan!" the blue-haired girl giggled. _"Aliens_, my Ryo-kun! We actually met a real alien! I can't wait to study the results of my computer scan on it later!"

"Roswell reminds me a little of Hino-sensei, Ami darling" her fiancee chuckled. "Wise, funny and short!"

"No, Rei's grandfather is even shorter" Usagi teased, enjoying the resulting angry scowl from her raven-haired friend. "I'll share the driving with Ami, Rei-chan" she volunteered.

"Great. Which means we won't get home until next Tuesday!" the miko scoffed. "Ok, Usagi-chan, you and Ami can take turns. But try to keep up with the speed limit for once in your life, and don't fall asleep at the wheel! I expect to find my car at the shrine tomorrow morning with no pieces missing!"

"Minna, I'll take Minako in my car" Haruka suggested. She opened a rear door and Michiru gently guided the woozy blonde into the seat. "We'll stop at the hospital in town to make sure she's going to be fine before we head back to Tokyo. One of the boys can ride with us."

_"No way!"_ Makoto and Ami abruptly chorused in protest.

"We're staying together forever from now on, Haruka-san!" Ami insisted, tightly holding her Ryo's hand.

"Hai, we are too! And no more running away, Yuji honey" Makoto scolded her fiancee. "Promise me you and Ryo won't ever do anything crazy like that. _E__ver!"_

"I swear we never will again, my love" Yuji blushed with embarrassment. "We're very sorry we put everyone through so much trouble."

"At least you're both safe, honey. You know, maybe I should learn how to drive someday" Makoto mused. "Just in case something like this happens in the future."

"Great idea, Mako-chan!" Minako blurted from the back seat of Michiru's car. "I'll give you your very first lesson just as soon as this seat I'm on stops spinning around and I'm my normal wonderful self again!"

"You were _never_ normal!" Rei teased.

"Maybe I'd have better luck if we practice while you're still dizzy, Minako-chan" the brunette muttered. "I don't want to pick up any of your regular bad driving habits."

"Silly! I'm the best driver in the world when I'm not sick! Ok, maybe the second best after Haruka. Or the third, after Ami. _I'm a good driver, ok?"_

"You forgot about that day you took us down the sidewalk" Makoto chuckled. "And the other time with all the the dead carrots."

Haruka puzzled, "Dead _carrots?"_

Minako's head popped out of the car. "_Shhh, Mako-chan!_ Don't mention that!"

"Since there isn't enough room in my Mercedes for six, I suppose I'll be riding with you, Haruka-san" Rei said. "I wouldn't want to separate the girls from their lover boys, not after what almost happened to them tonight." She suddenly beamed with the happy realization, "And as a bonus, I'll get home to my Yuuichirou and Grandpa a lot sooner than Usagi and Ami will."

"Don't count on it" Ami muttered to everyone's surprise. "Ryo-kun, Yuji-chan, Mako-chan, Usagi-chan, get in Rei's car" the petite girl ordered. "After Minako is done at the hospital, I intend to drive us home quickly. Very quickly indeed!"

"That's the spirit, Ami-chan!" Minako giggled. "Full speed ahead!" She slumped forward, uttering in a low groan, "I just wish the ground would stand still. Ohh, I think I'm going to be... sick..."_  
_

Mortified, Michiru exclaimed "Please not in my car, Minako-chan! I just had the leather seats treated and... cleaned. _Oh dear!"_

"The back one isn't clean anymore" Makoto grimaced.

"Aino Minako and Tsukino Usagi" Rei sighed. "I don't know which one is worse. And I probably never will. Minna, anyone have any more tissues?"

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


End file.
